


Dear Journal

by QueenAlicorn



Category: Doug - Fandom
Genre: Awkward Crush, Blog, Blogging, Boys In Love, Crushes, Crushing, Declarations Of Love, Diary, Diary/Journal, Dorks in Love, Dreams, Everyone Thinks They're Together, Falling In Love, Feelings Realization, Friendship/Love, Getting Together, Growing Up Together, Journal, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Realization, Secret Crush, True Love, dear journal, dream - Freeform, dream come true, privacy, private made public, together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:21:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22640944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenAlicorn/pseuds/QueenAlicorn
Summary: Doug is struggling with life and figuring out who he is. When he feels down he turns to his favorite blog to lift his spirits. How was he suppose to know this blog secretly belonged to Roger Klotz. Roger, who just happens to be back in Bluffington for a few months. Who knows, maybe Doug can learn something from Roger. Maybe they can even become friends. Or even something more?
Relationships: Doug/Roger
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Doug or it's characters.

Chapter 1,

Hi, it's me, Doug Fun-

"Funnie, I thought I asked you to deliver these pictures at exactly two." Doug heard his boss say and Doug froze, but quickly glanced down at the clock which read 2:01.

"Sorry, I'll get them delivered right away." Doug closed his journal and he threw it in his bag.

"Right away would have been at 2 o'clock, like I asked." His boss hollered, shoving the box of pictures into Doug's hands.

"Just hop on your little bike and peddle as if your life depended on it, because if you are late getting the pictures there, then you're fired." The man said and Doug ran out of the store.

Doug wished he had a different life. He graduated high school 4 years ago. He did a few semesters of college, but the environment wasn't the same as high school. He ended up failing English three times, before he stepped away from college. Doug's parents were some what supportive of this, but Doug could still feel their worry and disappointment when he walked into the room. The first semester was paid for by financial aid, since he failed the second semester was paid by his parents. When Doug failed again, he parents insisted that he gets a job and pay for the next semester by himself. And Doug failed again. And here he is, still working as a store assistant. Which basically meant that he was doing everything under the sun, except writing. Working the same job for 3 years should say a lot about a person. But for Doug, it just feels like a wasted life. His birthday was coming up in about a month, and all he wanted was to quit his job so he can focus on writing. As much as he wants this, he also knows that his family needs his paycheck. Judy is still going to audition and tryouts to become an actress, but she is rarely paid. His mother still has her job at the recycling plant, but the real issue is his dad. He got really sick, and the hospital bills were crazy. The doctors were still running tests, but Doug helped pay the bills.

Besides, even without his father's medical bills, Dous didn't make enough money to live on his own. A decent place with a washer and dryer was roughly $1,000 or more. So if Doug cancelled his health insurance, he could afford the place if he didn't eat a lot and kept the lights off. But then he could be arrested for not paying health insurance. So Doug lived at home, almost 23 and practically wishing for death. He had hit a brick wall of life and he didn't know what else to do. He didn't want to dwell on the things he cannot change. Right now, he needed to focus on getting the delivery on time. Mrs. Week did a lot of fundraisers so she was a big customer for the store.

Doug knew exactly where to find her too. It's not like it was very hard, though. She became Roger Klotz's next door neighbor after he became famous and he moved him and his mother into their carriage house. When Doug got to Mrs. Week's house, he abandoned his bike on the sidewalk and ran up the door with the box.

"Oh, hello again, Doug." Mrs. Week said sweetly.

"Hi, Mrs. Week. I got your package all ready for you." Doug said, handing her the box.

"Thank goodness. And you're right on time too. I will be sure to call Mr. Stoneheart, right away to tell him what a good job you did." Mrs. Week said.

"Thank you, Mrs. Week." Doug said.

"Here is a little thing for you, honey." Mrs. Week said and she handed Doug a $20 and Doug blinked.

"Oh, I appreciate the thought, but I can't take this from you." Doug said and Mrs. Week smiled.

"Just take it, Doug. And say hello to your father for me." Mrs. Week said and Doug sighed and put the bill in his pocket.

"Thanks." Doug said and he walked back to his bike.

One good thing about his job was that he could practically block the rest of his life. He didn't need to focus on how sick his dad was, or how he still lives at home, or how he just wished that he could be a writer. The customers and the employees he worked with did not care about what he had going on with his life. It was bittersweet.

"Hey, what's with this hunk of junk." Doug instantly recognized that annoyed voice. He looked up and saw Roger stopped beside Doug's bike. Doug hasn't seen much of Roger since graduation. In fact, he hasn't really seen much of anyone since graduation. Being a genius, Skeeter went to college up in Washington to learn more about genetic mutations. Patty got a summer job at a newspaper out in New York, and they offered her a full time position. So she moved out there and is supposedly doing great. Chalky got picked up by the US Olympic team and he was deep in training. And last Doug heard, Beebe was out in England to try and win over a prince. As for Roger, he hadn't heard much.

"Sorry, I didn't realize that I stopped there. I thought my bike was on the lawn." Doug said running over.

"Doug, it's sure been a while hasn't it?" Roger said happy to see a familiar face.

"Yeah. I suppose it has. You still doing the monster truck thing? My mom was telling how proud your mom was about that?" Doug asked and Roger chuckled. When he did this, Doug thought he was some sort of white scarf under Roger's popped collar.

"Yeah, I am. But I had to take a break for a little bit." Roger said.

"Well, why-"

Ring, ring.

"Oh, excuse me, it's my boss." Doug said and Roger nodded in a very understanding way.

"Hello?" Doug asked.

"Doug. Now that you managed to deliver that package, we need you to pick up some chow from the Honker Burger." Mr. Stoneheart said and Doug used one hand and pulled out a small pocket notebook and flipped it opened.

"Oh, pen, pen." Doug muttered blindly feeling around inside his bag, and then in his pockets. Doug must have left his pen at the desk when he tries to get some journaling done.

"Here, Funnie." Roger whispered handing Doug one of his promotional pens.

"Ok, so we have a meeting of 8 people ok. So you need to get 8 honker burgers, 6 of them with cheese. Everyone wants lettuce and mayo. 3 of the cheeseburgers need tomatoes. One hamburger gets everything. Oh, and we are gonna need mustard." Mr. Stoneheart said and Doug wrote as his boss listed things off.

"Which ones need mustard?" Doug asked and he heard some muffled voices before there was an answer.

"Ok, one hamburger, not the one with everything. One regular cheeseburger, and one cheeseburger with tomato." Mr. Stoneheart said and Doug wrote that down.

"Ok, so two hamburgers, one with everything, the others with lettuce, mayo and mustard. Six cheeseburgers, three with tomatoes and three without. And one cheeseburger with tomato, and one cheeseburger without tomato gets mustard. Sounds right?" Doug asked as he recited his list.

"Ok, now we need sides. 5 fries, 4 onion rings, 6 candied beets, and 5 tater tot's. All supersized." Mr. Stoneheart said.

"Super... sized." Doug said as he wrote.

"Ok, now we need 3 milkshakes, 5 cokes, an iced tea... and I guess a diet Dr. Pepper." Mr. Stoneheart said.

"Which flavor of milkshakes?" Doug asked.

"Strawberry, chocolate and Vanilla." He said.

"Got it." Doug said.

"Wait, she actually said 'vanilla and orange', it's a creamsicle." Mr. Stoneheart corrected.

"Strawberry, chocolate, and creamsicle then." Doug said, already tired and he wasn't on his way to the Honker Burger.

"That's all, or at least it should be. I'll call you if I need more." Mr. Stoneheart said.

"Ok." Doug simply said.

"And don't forget, this food is for a meeting so I authorize this being paid for by that company credit card I gave you." The man said.

"Thank you sir." Doug said and he sighed heavily when he hung up the phone.

"Dang, Doug, that man had you whipped." Roger said and Doug froze. He actually forgot that Roger was right there beside him.

"That's my boss, he has a lunch meeting and needs me to pick up the food. He does that every once in a while." Doug said and Roger stared at Doug as he picked up his bike.

"How do you even carry all that stuff on a bike? Is that what you normally use?" Roger asked and Doug nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, it is cheaper than a car with no gas or car payments. And it, uh, gives me plenty of exercise and sunshine and fresh air." Doug said as he slowly awaited Roger laughing at him. But it didn't come, so Doug decided to continue.

"I get the food from wherever I go, and put it in my bike handles. And people are nice, they will put the drinks I have in a drink carrier and then put that in a bag so I can put it in my bike handles as well." Doug said and Roger paused for a moment, then he pulled out his phone and he tapped on it with a stylist.

"You know, Dougie; since I'm taking a little break from my monster truck gig, I'm actually free for the rest of the day." Roger said and Doug got annoyed, since it sounded like bragging.

"That's great Roger." Doug said and Roger put his phone away.

"So, since I'm available anyways, and you are so addicted to fresh air, why don't I come along and help you carry that stuff back to your boss." Roger said and Doug blinked. Out of everything he thought Roger would say, offering to help was not one of them.

"Well, it would be nice to have another set of hands." Doug said and Roger smiled.

"Enough flirting, Doug. Let's go get those burgers on the double. We are going to the Honker Burger, right?" Roger asked and Doug nodded.

"Ok, then. Onward!" Roger said and Doug chuckled. And as they rode to the Honker Burger, he realized that he hasn't really laughed or chuckled or even giggled in months. Not since his dad started to feel sick. But Roger made Doug laugh without even trying. Maybe it was good that Roger has re-entered Doug's life. After all, a bully, turned friend, will be friend to the end.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Doug or it's characters.

Chapter 2,

"Alright Mr. Funnie, we will get your order right out for you." The kind cashier said and Doug thanked her. Then he went over to the table Roger sat down at.

"You know, Roger, I wanna say that I'm really glad that you were able to take time out of your busy schedule to help me out." Doug said and Roger gave Doug a tilted smile.

"You don't follow my career, do you Doug?" Roger asked and Doug blinked.

"I've seen a couple of the televised stuff." Doug said and Roger chuckled.

"Ok, here's the scoop. Remember earlier how I said that I was taking a break from my monster truck stuff?" Roger asked and Doug nodded.

"Yeah, well I wanted to try something a bit more daring. Riding my motorcycle and jumping over my truck. Then once I landed on the other side, I would ride a separate ramp down, around my truck, and back up to the door. I thought it would be more entertaining then driving into the room like I'm Elwood Blues." Roger said. Doug, being a fan of the Blues Brothers, giggles at Roger's reference. Roger blinked since this surprised him.

"I'm so glad you understood that. Most of the chicks I bring home think that I'm talking about colors." Roger said and Doug chuckled again, which made Roger very happy; for reasons he didn't understand or could explain.

"Please continue, Roger." Doug said. It had been soling since Doug had spoken to a friend whom he was comfortable with.

"Right. Well, I do the jump and I make it, fantastic. Then I go on the ramp. When I go around my truck, I suddenly notice that some of the measurements aren't correct. See this area, where one track goes under another, didn't have room. I bang my head on the wood, broke my neck, but my Harley keeps going. Dang thing crashed into that concrete barrier that protects the audience. So I'm back here until my ride is fixed and I get this dang thing off." Roger said. He lowered the collar of his jacket and Doug saw that, the white scarf he thought he saw earlier, was really a neck brace. Odd, Doug assumes that neck braces were more bulky then that.

"Dang Roger. How long do you have to wear that thing?" Doug asked and Roger popped his collar again.

"Let's see, what did the doc say? Um, six to eight weeks. But he recommends that I take a break from my job for about 3 months. Says he doesn't want to risk my neck breaking again, due to whiplash." Roger said and Doug paused. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to be impressed by a wicked break; or if he was suppose to be sympathetic to the pain Roger felt/ is feeling now; or if he was suppose to be angry at the fact that Roger cannot return to work quickly; or grateful that Roger is alive.

"How do you feel about all that?" Doug asked and Roger shrugged.

"I guess I'm a little annoyed. I mean if that section was just a few inches apart then I never would have gotten hurt." Roger said.

"Yeah, that does suck." Doug agreed and Roger smiled.

"Yeah, but I'll tell you what, being back in this old town does make me feel nostalgic." Roger said and Doug blinked.

"What do you mean, Roger?" Doug asked.

"For example, this; the Honker Burger." Roger said, gesturing out to the restaurant.

"Yeah, so?" Doug said.

"Well, think about it Funnie. Over there is where I was standing when we first met." Roger said.

"Oh, yeah. It is, isn't it. I accidentally got ketchup on your suede boots." Doug said.

"I know, they were new too." Roger said.

"Heh, do you remember when you walked in wearing that cowboy hat." Doug asked.

"I wanted to scare you, because I saw you on that kid show." Roger recalled.

"Until I found out you were on the same show." Doug said and Roger laughed.

"I'm so glad we burned out tapes. Now that can be taken to our graves." Roger said and Doug smiled.

"Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead." Doug said and that sounded familiar to Roger.

"That almost sounds like my mom's Pretty Little Liar's show." Roger said and Doug blinked.

"It is." Doug admitted and Roger smiled.

"You a fan of the show, Doug my boy?" Roger asked and Doug shook his head.

"Not really. Judy is a fan of it. So if she is watching it, then I may watch an episode or two." Doug admitted and Roger nodded.

"You know what, I get it. I'm like that when my mother watches this show called The Closer." Roger said and Doug chuckled.

"I've heard of that show. Not sure how I feel about that Brenda chick though." Doug said.

"I know, I mean is she a good guy, is she a bad guy?" Roger said.

"I think she is suppose to be both. She just bends the rules in order to get the bad guy." Doug said.

"See that means that she is less of a good guy, and more of a vigilante. I think that's why I really like Nick Burkhardt." Roger said and Doug's eyes widened.

"Wait, the dude from Grimm?" Doug asked and Roger's smile grew.

"Yeah, exactly. You watch the show?" Roger asked and Doug stared at his former bully. He never saw Roger smile so big.

"I saw most of it, but I never finished it." Doug said.

"Do you remember what episode you were on?" Roger asked and Doug looked up as he tried to remember.

"I know I saw all of seasons 1, 2, and 3. I don't know if I finished season 4, but I know I started it." Doug said.

"Oh, dude, we so gotta have a marathon. I have the whole series at home. I even got the box set that looks like pages from Nick's books." Roger said.

"No way, that is so cool. Oh, uh, I would love to do a marathon, but I'm not sure if I would have the time for that. I have irregular hours. Most of the time I close and I am too tired to do stuff, or I open and I'd need to go to bed early." Doug said and Roger actually looked disappointed.

"Look, I know I wasn't exactly the nicest kid in school, but-"

"No, I'm serious, Roger." Doug interrupted.

"Well, it sounds like a brush off." Roger said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"There are two shifts I will traditionally get. An 8 to 4 shift, or a 2 to 9 shift. I actually prefer to close, but I don't make the schedule. When I open and I need to be there at 8, I need to start waking up at 7. Not so bad, but I know I need to wake up at 7, so I have trouble sleeping. I could go to bed at 10 and not be able to sleep until 2 in the morning." Doug explained and Roger paused.

"I guess you opened today?" Roger asked and Doug blinked.

"Yeah, actually. How did you know that?" Doug said, confused and Roger giggled.

"You were outside Mrs. Week's house after 2. So either you just got in, and your boss sent you right out, or you opened this morning. Besides you have some black junk on your hand. I doubt that happened in your sleep." Roger pointed out and Doug looked down at his hands.

"Oh, earlier my pen exploded in my pocket. I had to throw it away and I got the ink all over my hand. I was lucky that I had another pen in my bag. But I guess I left that at work." Doug said and Roger smiled.

"Ok, well that makes sense. I mean what is a writer if they don't have a pen and a notebook?" Roger asked.

"Well, I'm not really a writer, Roger. I've never been published or anything." Doug said and Roger kinda waved him off.

"I don't think that matters Funnie. One of my favorite childhood movies is Sister Act and Sister Act 2. Well in the second one, Deloris tells a student of hers to read a book. I forget the title, but she tells her student about the book. A fan writes his favorite author, asking for advise on how to be a writer. The author writes back to the fan, saying 'don't ask me how to be a writer, that if you wake up in the morning and the first thing you want to do is start writing, then you're a writer.' Deloris says this to her student and tells her if, when she wakes up and the first thing she wants to do is start singing, then she was meant to be a singer." Roger said and Doug thought about this for a second.

"What are you trying to say?" Doug asked.

"My point is that when you love something so much that it consumes your whole world and makes you feel whole, then that has got to mean something." Roger said and Doug thought about it and sighed.

"I haven't worked on anything for a while." Doug admitted.

"And do you feel like you're missing something? It could be because you haven't been writing." Roger said and Doug blushed. Could he really be so transparent?

"Well, maybe. But I'm not so sure about what you said though." Doug said and Roger rose an eyebrow at this.

"Ok, what are you trying to say." Roger said, repeating Doug's phrase.

"Well take addicts; they only feel whole when they give into their addiction." Doug pointed out and Roger leaned back into his seat.

"I'm still right though. They love something so much and it consumes their whole world. It does mean something. It means that they need help." Roger said and Doug blinked. Roger never did say that it was good or bad, he just said that it meant something.

"I can't really argue with that." Doug said and Roger sighed.

"Ok, ok, well if you don't write in your spare time, then what do you do?" Roger asked and Doug paused as he tried to remember.

"Well, sometimes I read stuff online. There is this one I visit everyday. It's a blog, but it's just so... I don't know." Doug said.

"Blog? Isn't that where people go online and vent about their lives not being perfect?" Roger asked and Doug hesitated.

"Depends on the blog. Some are like that. But this one is different." Doug said and Roger noticed the slightest blush, which tinted Doug's cheeks. Seeing that, Roger just had to know more about this blog thing.

"What's it about, then?" Roger asked and Doug let out a deep breath as he thought where to begin.

"It's complex in it's nature. It's vague, yet uncharacteristically personal. At times it's poetic and honest. I find it so incredibly unique. It's actually pretty addicting." Doug said.

"Wow, is it really?" Roger asked and Soug shrugged.

"Yeah, lots of people at work love it." Doug said.

"Ah, well maybe I should check it out something." Roger said and Doug smiled.

"Uh, well maybe I could write out the address for you the next time we meet." Doug said and Roger smirked.

"I could just give you my number. At least that way we could always text and meet up again." Roger said and Doug blushed.

"You really want to meet up again?" Doug asked and Roger nearly blushed.

"Hell yeah, Funnie. We got a Grimm marathon to plan." Roger said and Doug giggled.

"Ok, well, uh, what's your number?" Doug asked, pulling out his phone and Roger waved him off.

"Oh, forget that nonsense, here." Roger said, pulling Doug's phone out of his hand, then giving Doug his phone.

"Dang, ok. I didn't know that people still gave each other's phones to add contacts." Doug commented as he added his number to Roger's phone.

"Actually, I'm not sure if they do that anymore or not. But I guess I'm a bit old fashioned in some areas. Besides I trust that you're not gonna run away with it." Roger said and Doug smiled.

"Understood. Here's your phone back." Doug said, Roger took it and returned Doug's phone.

"Hey, I got an idea, come here Funnie." Roger said, though he didn't give Doug a second to react. Roger wrapper an arm around Doug and pulled Doug so close, so fast, that Doug almost fell into Roger's lap. The only reason he didn't was the fact that Doug put his hand on Roger's chest to steady himself. Doug looked up at Roger with the deepest blush on his face, but Roger was pulling up the camera on his phone.

"All-righty, smile." Roger said, and Doug turned towards the camera and smiled with all the joy he felt in his heart. Which normally doesn't mean much, but Doug couldn't help the way his heart raced. Roger presses his face against Doug's cheek, and Doug swooned slightly from the heat of Roger's body. The camera flashed and Roger moved away, leaving Doug to feel cold and confused.

"Order for Funnie." The woman said and Roger laughed and stood up.

"Man, oh man, got to love this place. A mountain of food and it's still under 30 minutes. I'll go grab it." Roger said and Doug took a deep breath to settle his nerves. He didn't understand what he was feeling, or why. It's true that he hasn't been that physically close to anyone in a while, so maybe that's what caused his heart to flutter. But he also hasn't seen Roger in forever, and he did miss him. Perhaps that's why his breathing grew heavy.

Still, would that explain the blush on his face, the trembling of his hands, and the absence of his thoughts? Doug didn't know what to think of this, but he also didn't have the time to think about it. Roger came back to the table with his arms loaded with food. Doug opened the doors for Roger and they walked to their bikes.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Doug or it’s characters.

Chapter 3,

After a struggling ride, Doug and Roger got the food back to the store. Mr. Stoneheart’s assistant, Sherri ran over and opened the door for them.

“Thanks Sherri.” Doug said as they walked in.

“Mr. Stoneheart has to go fix something, so go ahead and put the food in the conference room.” Sherri said.

“Still seems odd that you guys have offices in a place like this.” Roger said and Doug shrugged.

“Look we might sell photos, clothes, coffee, and whatnot. But we are still a business.” Doug said. All of a sudden, Sherri ran up in front of them.

“Sorry. Excuse me; but aren’t you Roger Klotz?” Sherri asked. Doug and Roger looked at each other.

“Yes.” Roger asked and Sherri giggled.

“Oh, Mr. Klotz, I am such a huge fan of yours.” Sherri said and Roger went ahead and smiled at the girl, which made Doug jealous.

“Thank you. I would shake your hand, but I do have my hands full.” Roger said and Sherri blushed.

“Oh, goodness. Right this way.” Sherri said, leading them to the room. Doug and Roger placed the food down and pulled the items out of the bags.

“Thanks for the help, Rog. I really appreciate it.” Doug said and Roger shrugged.

“I told you it’s no problem. Quit acting like I gave you a kidney or something.” Roger said and they heard Sherri laughing behind them.

“Good one, Mr. Klotz.” Sherri said and Roger’s eye twitched.

“Ma’am, please do not call me ‘Mr. Klotz’. All that does is remind me of the ass who ran out on me and my mother.” Roger said, ironically doing well to hide his anger.

“Oh!” Sherri gasped and she blushed.

“I-I’m sorry.” Sherri said and Roger sighed.

“I know you are. Don’t worry I hear that a lot.” Roger said. With the awkward silence that followed, Sherri quickly excused herself and ducked out of sight. Doug and Roger exited the room next.

“It didn’t occur to me that I would get that sort of attention here. This is my home town.” Roger said and Doug blinked.

“So your use to being recognized?” Doug asked.

“There are still a bunch of fans who love monster trucks. Otherwise my colleagues and I wouldn’t be able to live off of it.” Roger said.

“If that’s the case, then I gotta think that you’ll get bored with me.” Doug said and Roger turned to him.

“Why would you think that?” Roger asked.

“Because I didn’t even hear that you got hurt. I don’t really know anything about monster trucks. Why would you want to hang out with me? And don’t say ‘Grimm marathon’ because you said that already.” Doug said, returning to his desk. He needed to check the order forms to see which films got developed tonight.

“Man, you don’t need to get sensitive about it.” Roger said and Doug picked up the clipboard, quietly.

“Ok! Would you believe that I missed you, Doug? There I said it.” Roger said and Doug looked at him.

“You did?” Doug asked, scared that this was a joke.

“I... really missed you. I didn’t realize how close we were to each other. For some reason, I ended up missing you more then Patti.” Roger said and Doug blushed. Hearing that made his jealousy subside; though Doug wondered why he got jealous to begin with.

“I understand I-I missed you too.” Doug said and Roger blushed a little.

“Ok, then. Now that, that’s been settled.” Roger said, he pulled out his phone and started texting. Doug bit his lip at Roger’s sudden change in behavior. But then Doug felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled out his phone and saw a text from Roger.

“I’m standing right here, Roger.” Doug said and Roger chuckled.

“I know, that’s half the fun.” Roger said and Doug giggled at this response. He checked the text, which said, Wanna hang out after work?

“Oh.” Doug said with a blush, and he looked up at Roger. The green boy walked right up into Doug’s personal space.

“Text me, Funnie.” He whispered seductively in Doug’s ear, and then Roger walked away. For some reason that made Doug’s whole body tremble. He sat down at his desk and stared down at the order forms, but he couldn’t focus. His mind couldn’t stop thinking about how sexy Roger was.

SEXY?!?

Doug’s mind panicked. He looked around and exhaled when he saw that he was alone. Doug sighed and grabbed the order forms and took them to the photo lab.

“Doug, wait.” Sherri said, walking up to him.

“Yeah, Sherri?” Doug asked and they walked together.

“How on earth did you convince The Roger Klotz to help you with that order?” Sherri asked.

“We ran into each other when I was out on delivery, and he offered to help when Mr. Stoneheart called in the order.” Doug said.

“Wait, so you already knew each other?” Sherri asked.

“Know him? We went to school together. He started picking on me the day I moved to Bluffington.” Doug said and Sherri sighed.

“Oh, you are so lucky.” Sherri said and Doug rose an eyebrow at her.

“It’s odd that you find a bully, good.” Doug said and Sherri shook her head at him.

“He may have started out as a bully, but you seem to have gotten over that.” Sherri said and Doug shrugged.

“I don’t know, we just bumped into each other today. It was nice to talk to him again.” Doug said and Sherri shoved her hands in her pockets.

“If I were in your shoes, I would do everything in my power to keep this budding friendship alive.” Sherri said, then she walked away. Doug watched her for a minute, thinking about this. Doug really didn’t have friends anymore, and even though Roger made him feel weird, it was a nice weird. Doug pulled out his phone and looked at the text again. It was nearly three now, so he got off in an hour. Doug remembered how he and his friends would hang out at the Honker Burger after school. Surely Roger didn’t want to go back there. But where do legal adults hang out?

What did you have in mind?

Doug texted. He put his phone back in his pocket and he dropped off the paper at the lab. The second he turned around Doug felt his phone buzz again. Doug was shocked to see another text from Roger, since he didn’t expect a speedy response.

Your place?

Doug read, and then he blushed.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Doug or it’s characters.

Chapter 4,

“Mom? Judy?” Doug called out, when he came home. He set his bag down by the front door and he looked around.

“Anyone home?” Doug called out. He made his way into the kitchen. And on the fridge there was a note for him.

“Dear Doug, I drove Judy to her audition and I went to work. Will visit your father after my shift, so I’ll be home late. Hugs and kisses, mother.” Doug read out loud and he sighed. Roger was coming over and part of Doug had hoped that the Funnie females could run interference between him and Roger. He felt confused about the way Roger made him feel.

“Then again...” Doug whispered, then he bit his lip. Part of him wanted to be alone with Roger. To push the feeling; to push himself; to push Roger if he got the chance. Doug blush led at that last thought. What in the world did he expect would happen? That Roger would storm through those door, kiss him roughly and then-

“HM!” Doug moaned softly. Then he died internally. Doug fanned himself. He needed to calm down.

“Man, I haven’t felt this flustered since Patti left for New York.” Doug muttered. Then Doug thought about what he just said. Is this really true? How could that be true? Doug has the biggest crush on Patti. The only reason for Roger to make Doug this nervous, was if he had no he same feeling for Roger. And that could only mean that Doug had a crush on...

“I-I need a soda.” Doug squeaked out, fumbling for a can out of the fridge. Maybe he shouldn’t see Roger. Maybe he should text Roger and tell him that something came up or something like that.

Ding Dong.

Doug froze at the sound. It was too late.

“Coming.” Doug said automatically. He quickly turned on the TV and straightened his clothes.

“Hey, Funnie. I come bearing beer.” Roger said.

“Being polite? Or did you just think we had nothing for you to drink?” Doug asked, making Roger smirk.

“Just let me in.” Roger said and Doug gestured.

“I haven’t been home long. You want a snack? I can put those in the fridge for you. Unless you want a glass of ice instead. Which is fine, perfectly normal. Of course, maybe you like warm beer. Also fine, perfectly fine. Whatever you want.” Doug bit his lip to stop himself. And that’s when he realized that he really was attracted to Roger.

“Um, the fridge is fine with me.” Roger said and Doug chuckled awkwardly.

“You hungry? We can reheat something, or make something. Put on some popcorn, watch a movie, or whatever.” Doug said, and Roger chuckled.

“You must be starving.” Roger stayed and Doug blushed.

“Kinda.” Doug admitted. Roger reaches over and held Doug’s hand.

“Then quit standing there.” Roger said, pulling Doug into the kitchen. Then the green boy let go of Doug, put the beer in the fridge and looked back at the red boy.

“Are you alright?” Roger asked and Doug hesitated. He remembered how hands-on Roger use to be, but it just feels different now that Doug liked him.

“I was just thinking...” Doug started. Currently his mind was obsessed with different places he wished for Roger’s hands to be.

“I-I’m really more snacky. I did eat on my break. H-how do you feel about popcorn and candies beets?” Doug asked and Roger smiled one of his huge smiles.

“Oh, man. I haven’t had good candied beets since I left Bluffington.” Roger said. He walked over to Doug and hugged him tightly.

“God it’s good to be home.” Roger said. Doug shuddered in his grasp. But after a moment, he hugged Roger back and inhaled the smell of Jungle Madness and sweat.

“Good to have you home.” Doug said. Roger pulled away a little and put his hand on Doug’s face.

“I know.” Roger whispered and he chuckled quietly. In that moment, all Doug wanted was to lean in and kiss Roger. He even leaned forward a bit. But then a noise caught Roger’s attention, and he looked into the living room. Doug’s moment has passed.

“Are you watching Friends?” Roger asked, walking away from a suddenly clingy Doug.

“It’s a funny show.” Doug said, following Roger like a lost puppy.

“Hey, it’s one of the New Years episodes. Have you seen it?” Roger asked and Doug blinked.

“Well, truth be known, I have actually seen the whole series.” Doug said and Roger smirked.

“The guy who can’t finish 6 seasons of Grimm has finished all 10 seasons of Friends?” Roger asked and Doug rolled his eyes.

“Yes. In this episode Chandler and Monica want to kiss at New Years, see. And there goes Joey, making it possible for them to do so, without the rest of their friends getting wise to their secret relationship.” Doug said. They both were leaning against the back of the couch.

“Still. 10 seasons against 6?” Roger pointed out.

“Yeah, well, Friends is entertaining without being emotionally draining.” Doug said and Roger shrugged.

“Ok. Got me there.” Roger said and Doug smiled.

“You know; I’ve never kissed anyone for New Years.” Doug admitted.

“No kidding?” Roger asked and Doug blushed again.

“Well, I didn’t have a date, or friends like that.” Doug said and Roger laughed.

“Remember that New Years episode, where Joey kissed Chandler because he wanted a kiss?” Roger asked and Doug smiled.

“I still think that’s kinda odd.” Doug said.

“What, two dudes kissing?” Roger asked.

“Not exactly. Just the whole ‘kissing a friend you just aren’t attracted to’. I know people kiss others or even fool around with people they don’t like, but I just think that’s... I don’t know. Hard? I don’t get it.” Doug said.

“Ok, that’s understandable. Those people just value other things. If you want to call it that.” Roger said.

“Have you made out with someone you didn’t find attractive?” Doug asked and Roger sighed.

“Yeah, but it’s not what you think.” Roger said.

“Then what is it?” Doug asked, and Roger groaned.

“Well, it’s one of my... giveaways.” Roger said.

“Giveaway?” Doug asked, in case he heard Roger wrong.

“I pull a seat number out of a hat and they can either accept the kiss or choose someone for me to kiss.” Roger said and Doug chuckled.

“Wow.” Doug said.

“What? It got people to come?” Roger said.

“Do you still do it?” Doug asked.

“Well, yeah. It’s become part of my gimmick.” Roger said and Doug shook his head.

“How can you do that?” Doug asked and Roger shrugged.

“Kissing only means something if you care about the person your kissing.” Roger said.

“Yeah, but still.” Doug said and Roger blushed.

“Look at me, Funnie.” Roger said and Doug turned.

“What?” Doug asked and Roger bit his lip.

“You think I’m lying?” Roger asked and Doug shrugged.

“No, that’s not what I’m saying. Maybe I just don’t get it.” Doug said and Roger took a step closer to Doug, licking his lips.

“Perhaps I should help explain it through example.” Roger whispered, leaning forward.

“Rog-? Mm!” Doug was interrupted by Roger’s lips. They were warm and moist and Doug’s heart raced. Doug was trembling when Roger pulled away.

“Kissing only means something if you care about the person.” Roger repeated and Doug stared at him.

“I think I see.” Doug managed, and he rose his hands and placed them on Roger’s chest. Roger blushed more then he already was.

“Let me try.” Doug whispered. He moved his hands up Roger’s chest, around his neck, and pulled him into another kiss. Neither of them knew what to expect now. It seemed as if they were both operating out of instinct. Roger wrapped his arms around Doug’s waist and pulled him against his body. Doug pushes into Roger, Roger did the same. Doug’s hand reached up and touched his hair. Roger let out a groan so low it sounded like a growl. The green boy roughly grabbed Doug’s ass, which made the small male squeak. It hurt, but Doug kind of liked it. They pulled away to breathe and they stared at each other. It almost felt unreal; this passion between them. Was is there before? Did it always exist? If they kissed again, they probably would have fallen to the floor and permanently changed their relationship.

“DOUG!” A voice called from outside. Doug and Roger jumped over the couch and sat on opposite sides of it. Judy stormed into the house, slammed the door shut, and threw her purse into the next room.

“It was for PORN!” She screeched, grabbing fistfuls of her hair and tugging.

“My agent told me this would be the perfect role for me. I go on set and they want me to strip naked and play with these grotesque toys on the shelf. UGH! I hate Louis!” Judy shouted and she shook her head.

“You want a beer?” Roger asked. Judy jumped and she whipped around.

“Roger?” Judy asked, walking over.

“I thought you were in Las Vegas.” She said.

“I was only there for a month.” Roger said.

“Oh, well. Please excuse my outburst. We don’t get much company nowadays, so I thought Doug was alone.” Judy said, shaking Roger’s hand.

“No problem. You were upset, and rightly so. Doug and I just bumped into each other today.” Roger said and Judy smiled.

“Well, you should definitely stay for dinner. I’ll go call mom and tell her you’re here.” Judy said, walking upstairs.

Doug and Roger were alone again. They didn’t want to admit how much they enjoyed kissing, and both were afraid to kiss again with Judy home. So instead of doing what they wanted, they simply turned towards the television and watched Friends.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Doug or it's characters.

Chapter 5,

"Alright, weirdo's. I ordered the pizza, and I want you two to go upstairs so that I can watch Shakespeare on Ice." Judy said as she cane down the steps.

"U-upstairs?" Doug said. After such a kiss, Doug didn't really trust himself around Roger. Roger was just gonna be in town for a few weeks. How was Doug suppose to keep himself composed when all he wanted to do was kiss Roger over and over again?

"Yes, Doug! I was the one who went to some crummy porno audition, today! So if I want to unwind by watching a couple of minutes of Shakespeare on Ice, then I think I deserve it!" Judy said and Doug couldn't help but stare. He has heard Judy screaming before, when rehearsing a part or as a voice exercise; however this was different. Judy wasn't just mad, but she actually sounded upset; like genuinely upset- as if her very heart were breaking. Doug didn't know how to react to that.

"Come on, Doug. I'm sure we can find something to do." Roger said, taking a hold of Doug's wrist and pulling the boy to his feet. He offered Doug a small smile, which Doug returned.

"Well, I should have a barnyard chess game in my room. We could play that." Doug said. Judy sat in the couch and changed the channel.

"Dougie, you're over 18. You guys could go upstairs and have sex for all I care, just don't make a lot of sound." Judy said. Doug couldn't help but blush at her words. Then he felt his hands tremble at the arousing, yet embarrassing thought.

"Judy!" Doug complained and Judy shushed him.

"Everyone stop talking." Judy said, not even giving Doug a sideways glance. Roger carefully led the dumbfound boy up the stairs.

"Give her some space Doug, she's had a very hard day, and now she has moral decision to make." Roger said and Doug glanced down the stairs.

"Moral decision? What do you mean?" Doug asked and Roger rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's not easy chasing a dream you want so badly. As time goes by, you may not see any results... makes you wonder if you should keep at it, compromise your values, or just give up on it completely." Roger said and Doug froze.

"Do you really think Judy's at that place?" Doug asked and Roger sighed.

"I drive a monster truck for a living. It's my dream come true, and I see a lot of rookies who try to make it, but they just fizzle out. I recognize the look? And Judy definitely has that look." Roger said. Hearing this made Doug sad and he wished that he had recognized this on his own. If Roger wasn't here, who knows how long it would have taken Doug to realize this.

"Well, I don't know what Judy will do. But I guess I do know what it's like to try to make your dream a reality and it doesn't really happen." Doug said as they walked into Doug's room. After hearing Doug say this, Roger paused as he thought up a response.

"You haven't given up on that novel of yours, have you?" Roger asked as he shut Doug's bedroom door. Doug flung himself onto his bed dramatically and groaned loudly.

"I tried making a novel based on my life here in Bluffington. But it turns out I haven't had such an exciting life." Doug said, throwing his arm over his eyes and Roger sat down on the bed next to Doug.

"And when I look back at my early journals, you know, when I first moved here and such, some of the stuff I wrote about, was so completely stupid. I mean who would believe that a science fair volcano could really destroy the science lab? And what about the time I accidentally signed up to be the Beet Prince in the Sugar Beet Fairy. Or what about the time we went camping with the Bluff Scouts? I was so embarrassed when you put my underwear up on the flagpole. Why would I want to write that for the whole world to read?" Doug asked. He went ahead and lowered his arm to look at Roger. The green boy could only shrug.

"Well, isn't art suppose to be a form of expression?" Roger asked and Doug rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but why should I express all of those embarrassing things?" Doug asked and Roger bit his lip.

"Everyone goes through embarrassing times. A little bit of vulnerability can go a long way to making your character relatable." Roger said and Doug took a deep breath in and slowly let it out.

"Well, I gotta be honest with you Roger. Sometimes I wonder if I am meant to be a writer." Doug said and Roger's eyes widened.

"What? You've been writing stories forever." Roger said and Doug nodded.

"If anyone was interested in reading Quailman, I'd be working on his comic's nonstop." Doug said and Roger couldn't help but smile.

"Heh, Quailman. The superhero version of you that flashes his underwear to the whole world." Roger said, which earned a small smile and an eye roll from Doug.

"Everyone wants to be a hero every now and again." Doug said in defense.

"Ok, ok, we're getting off topic." Roger said.

"Yeah, I wonder whose fault that was?" Doug said sarcastically and Roger gently hit Doug's knee.

"Can it Funnie, before I cream ya." Roger said and they both chuckled.

"Alright, tough guy; continue." Doug said.

"Ok. Now why would you think, even for a moment, that you weren't meant to be a writer?" Roger asked and Doug sighed heavily.

"I can't really talk about writing with my family... seems like they just see it as a hobby, instead of a potential career. It's very disheartening to put so much effort into something you love, just so others never once realize how important it means to you." Doug said and Roger blinked.

"I guess that can put a damper on that Quail-spirit of yours." Roger said and Doug scoffed.

"Funny, Rog..." Doug whispered and Roger hesitated.

"Sorry. I thought a joke might ease the tension." Roger said. Doug paused for a moment, and then offered him a small smile.

"Thank you." Doug said and Roger rubbed the back of his neck.

"You know, aside from your family, I'm sure that there will be plenty of people who would read your book." Roger said and Doug looked away.

"I wanted to finish a book before I tried to get it published. But I got nothing... I feel like a wash out before I had the chance to start." Doug said and for a moment, Roger was silent. Then he got up and laid down on the bed beside Doug. Needless to say, Doug was surprised by Roger's actions. He felt his breathing deepen and his hands quaking when he felt Roger's incredible warmth pressed against his side.

"Listen, Doug. I might make a lot of jokes and such, but I have faith that you're gonna be a writer one day. You love writing as much as I love monster trucks." Roger said and Doug worked hard to focus on Roger's words and not his body.

"At least you've been successful." Doug commented.

"Most drivers can't grow old and stay popular. Some can and they get to retire. I'm nothin' special Doug. The biggest reason I got so well known, is because ma was a well loved driver before... before my dad left." Roger said and Doug blinked.

"I thought your mom always worked at the hair salon." Doug said and Roger shrugged.

"Mom was a professional monster truck driver when she met my dad. He was a mechanic, er, still is I suppose; I wouldn't know. When I was born, Dad use to watch me while mom went to shows or competitions. When dad left us and went to Bloatsburg, mom got some heat for bringing me along. She occasionally left me with my grandmother, which would have been fine, except my dad didn't like it. Bastard sent in an anonymous tip to Child Services that my grandmother was mentally unstable and I needed to be removed immediately. And since mom was away, I was put in foster care while they investigated my grandma." Roger said and Doug's heart dropped.

"You never told me that before." Doug said.

"Oh, it took a week before they sorted it all out. Mom picked me up from that foster home and swore that I'd never be in one ever again." Roger said. Doug turned his head to look at the sad boy's face.

"And that's when your mom stopped being a driver and got her job at the salon?" Doug asked and Roger nodded.

"She gave up her dream for me. That's not easy for anyone. Granted when I got older, she was able to take me to some shows, but you should see the way she lights up when we talk about monster trucks. Her passion fueled my passion. To this day, my favorite thing about being a monster truck driver has nothing to do with the money- though that's great, or the fans, or the tricks, or the fame... no... none of that compares to the sound of my mom's voice- or better yet, the expression on her face when I get out of my truck." Roger said and Doug couldn't believe his ears.

"That's probably the sweetest thing I've ever heard." Doug admitted and Roger glances at him.

"Do you know why I'm telling you this?" Roger asked and Doug shook his head.

"No. Though I did enjoy hearing about it." Doug said and Roger smirked at him.

"Doug, there is a chance that you'll have to relinquish your dream, one day, for something important... like my mom did for me... Doug, if your passionate about writing, you can't just let that go, because you're worried about how successful you'll be. Most authors only get 10% of book sales anyways. If the book is a dollar, you get 10 cents. Five bucks you get 50 cents; for every ten bucks the book makes, you get a dollar. Even if you publish a book, it may not make you enough money to live off of. Don't write to be successful. Don't write to make a lot of money, or to be famous, or have a weird cult following of groupies that will dress up like Quailman for you. Write because it is the very life force that gets you out of bed, and makes a rough day better; even if it's a bitch of a lot of work." Roger paused to look directly at Doug.

"And if you do it correctly, with enough heart, your passion will fuel someone else's passion; and you'll encourage them to chase their dreams because you did." Roger whispered. Doug didn't know if he wanted to kiss Roger or cry his eyes out.

"You know what, Roger? I'm sorry that you got hurt, but I'm glad to have you back." Doug said. Roger wrapped his arm around Doug's shoulders and pulled him close.

"That's good to hear, Doug." Roger said and he gave Doug's forehead a swift kiss, which made Doug's breath hitch.

"Speaking of hearing; maybe we can lay like this for a while and listen to music instead of playing barnyard chess. Sound good?" Roger asked. Doug didn't want to move, but he blindly reached over to his bedside table and grabbed the remote for his CD player. He pressed play and his favorite Beets album started playing.

Doug felt wonderful, surrounded by Roger's warmth and the melodic melodies they both loved. As odd as it sounded, Doug found himself wishing he were a girl; so that he could always be with Roger and feel like this.


End file.
